Korean cuisine as we know it today has its roots in Buddhist temple food. The chefs had the opportunity to visit two temples: Changdeokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple. There, they gained direct insight with a lot of cultural background information about the lives of Buddhist monks.
The special characteristic of temple cuisine: it is cooked vegan, with very little salt, and without strong spices. The focus is on rice and vegetables, while alliums are also avoided. Consciously pure and natural – that's how the philosophy could be summarized. You can test this in practice during lunch at the Sanchon restaurant. Franconian palates still need to get used to it; the contrast to a hearty Sunday roast is quite extreme. Therefore, it was also decided to focus more on modern Korean cuisine for our own menu on Friday.
Afterwards, the event location will be visited: The Hyundai Cooking Library. This combination of library and event space in the trendy Gangnam district is dedicated to culinary arts with all senses and even has its own rooftop garden.
Instead of enjoying the view, the team gets straight to work: clarifying technical details, inspecting equipment, planning processes. Preparations for the big evening start today, with the pork being marinated and cooked overnight.
